Only a one hour and fifteen minute drive South of Miami and you will come to the drawbridge at Jewfish Creek. When you cross this bridge you will find yourself in Key Largo, the first island of the Florida Keys. This chain of coral islands is legendary for its lore of pirates and sunken treasure, but today countless visitors have discovered the real treasure of Florida Keys lies just offshore, its world-class diving and snorkeling. The waters offshore of Key Largo offer some of the best diving in the world. Visitors to Key Largo quickly understand why it is the "Dive Capital of the World".

Key Largo was one of the first areas in the world to dive into conservation of its marine habitat.
John Pennekamp Coral Reef Park was founded in 1960 and the Key Largo National Marine Sanctuary was created in 1975. As a result, the reef has been protected for more than four decades. This protection has provided a uniquely rich coral environment where the 600 species of tropical fish are numerous and friendly - a veritable paradise for diver and snorkeler.

French Reef is known for its swim throughs and coral caves. It offers the chance to observe many species of fish and reef creatures, the majority of which never leave the shelter of the coral caves and tunnels. French Reef also has large formations of elk horn and stag horn corals. Be sure to bring a camera along as spotted eagle rays are commonly seen here.
Nikonos lens recommendation: 20mm

Jules' Undersea Lodge is an American hotel located in Key Largo, Florida and is the only underwater hotel in the United States. It is 30 feet (9 m) deep on the ocean floor and guests have to scuba dive to get to their rooms. The hotel is located at the bottom of the Emerald Lagoon and was opened in 1986.[1] The hotel’s name comes from the novelist Jules Verne of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Scuba certification is not required for entrance as the front door is located 21 feet (6.4 m) under water.

Molasses Reef is said to be the most popular dive destination in the world. It’s great for snorkelers and divers alike as the reef touches the surface in places and slopes down to a depth of about fifty-five feet. The gulf stream provides for some of the best visibility in the area. The population of reef creatures is always changing, and includes frequent visits by many different pelagic species. With over 25 mooring areas, it is unlikely that you will dive the same spot twice. Molasses Reef got it's name from a ship carrying molasses that ran aground on the reef many years ago.

This reef features high coral ridges with some valleys in between. A much less frequently visited spot due to its distance from shore. Lots of Stag horn and pillar coral can be seen here as well as large groupers.

A sailboat on route to Key West carrying cement to build Ft Jefferson sunk here in the late 1700’s. There are very little remains of the vessel, however, the containers that were used to carry the cement resembled pickle barrels that were also used in that time which gave the name to the reef.

Located at Molasses reef, some have said that this anchor was used to pull the boat off the reef that lost its winch trying to pull itself off the reef. You can make your own story up here while you enjoy the great coral reef surrounding the area. Turtles, Nurse sharks and Eagle Rays are often sighted here.

One of Four made, the 4000 lb bronze Statue of Christ was sculpted by Guido Galetti. Cressi Sub owner, Egidi Cressi, purchased the statue to make a memorial for his son who died in a boating accident. The Statue was then donated to the Underwater Society of Key Largo who then sunk it in 1961. One of the other statues is in the Aegean Sea facing the statue in Key Largo. Another is said to be in a church and the fourth is ??

While traveling at night and with out lights to avoid submarine detection, the Benwood collided with the Julia Tuttle. Both ships saw each other at the last minute and turned but not in time and hit broad sided. The Benwood’s bow broke and started to sink while the captain tried to run her aground to help salvaging later, but with the bow sinking made the propellers stick out in the air and rendered the vessel useless. The Julia Tuttle survived and continued her voyage to Texas. The Benwood’s height in the water was deemed a hazard to navigation so the Navy used the wreck for bombing practice to remove the danger. The Benwood now sits in 25-40 feet of water with a small relief of just 8 feet. This wreck is a popular site for divers and snorkelers alike.

The Bibb was built in 1937. She is 327 feet long, with a 41 foot beam. She served in patrols and convoy escort duties during WW II, and joined in the battle for Okinawa in 1945. The Bibb served in Vietnam but her real legacy, like the Duane, is the Bibb's record of heroic rescues, many conducted under the worst possible conditions. A consortium of diveshops and other organizations arranged for the Bibb and the Duane (the Bibb's sister ship) to be stripped and prepared as artificial reefs and divesites. The doors were removed above the main deck and the lower compartments were sealed. Both ships were sunk in 1987.

The City Of Washington lays in 25-30ft of water in John Pennekamp Marine Sanctuary. A shallow reef and debris field of old wreck, lots of ledges and scattered remnants of the vessel. The deck is angled and helps to form a theater like setting with coral ledges and sand bottom perfect for divers and snorkelers alike.There are plenty of fish including many parrot fish, grunts, and snappers as well as a few lobsters basking in the safety of the post season. The corals are beautiful, lots of fans and brain coral. The largest brain coral I have seen to date at about 6 feet high and nearly that large in diameter.

The USCG Cutters Duane and Bibb were intentionally sunk in 1987 to form an artificial reef only a mile south of Molasses Reef. Both lie in 130 feet of water. The Duane stands upright with its crow’s nest sixty feet below the surface; the Bibb lies on its starboard side. Visibility is great here, but the currents can be very challenging. These are not novice dives but well within the abilities of the accomplished recreational scuba diver. The Duane also makes an awesome night dive.

The Eagle is a freighter that was cleaned and holes blasted in the sides after a fire rendered it no longer useful for cargo transport. The ship was sunk in 1985. The ship settled in 110 feet of water on her starboard side. A hurricane in 1998 broke the ship in half and now mooring buoys are located at its bow and stern. A smokestack, crow's nest and mast are all intact. Because its profile reaches 40 feet and there is great visibility, divers will need to descend only 65 feet to reach the ship. The entire ship can be seen at a range of 65-100 feet. There are several places where advanced wreck divers can penetrate the ship. It is generally well-lit, and divers report seeing amberjacks, grunts, silversides, cobia, jewfish, and nurse sharks. The masses of coral that have grown on the ship are well-developed and spiny oysters and sponges abound.

Sunk May 17, 2002, the 510’ Navy Landing Ship - The Spiegel Grove - is the largest wreck ever to be sunk for the intention of recreational diving. The Spiegel Grove was commissioned in June 1956 and named for the Fremont, Ohio, estate of 19th U.S. President Rutherford B. Hayes. The vessel conducted amphibious exercises in the Mediterranean Sea and supported manned space flights, including the 1971 Apollo 14 moon mission. The Spiegel Grove is now starting to accumulate large resident fish including Goliath Grouper and Barracuda. Plan on diving this wreck many times if you want to see it all as it's massive size allows only exploring one area per dive.
***All divers that sign up for this trip as a single diver are required to have Nitrox certification. We require this as the buddy you will be put with will more than likely be Nitrox certified and will not want to cut their dive short for you. We offer Nitrox certification classes every Saturday before the trip, please contact us for more information.

A sailing vessel ran aground on Molasses reef in the early 1800 ’s and tried to get itself off the reef by letting their anchor out over the reef and into the deeper area and then using the power of the winch, tried to pull the boat off the reef. Well, the winch proved stronger than the boat and was ripped off into the ocean taking with it the bow of the boat. The boat sank and eventual designated. All that remains is the winch, beautifully positioned on the sand surrounded by coral reef. It is still recognizable and makes a great photo opportunity.